The Maryland men’s basketball team got out to an ugly start in its game Saturday against Illinois. After dominating the paint in a 84-59 win over the Fighting Illini on Dec. 27, the Terps struggled to move the ball down low. But in the second half, guards Anthony Cowan and Jaylen Brantley helped Maryland pull away for its fourth Big Ten victory, improving to 2-0 in road conference games. Here are four takeaways from the Terps’ third consecutive win:

Maryland settles early

Throughout this season, Maryland has fallen into stretches of settling for 3-pointers early in games despite coach Mark Turgeon saying his team plays best when it moves the ball into the paint. That shot selection has forced Maryland to come back from four double-digit deficits.

In Maryland’s first victory over Illinois, the Terps drove to the basket at will, scoring 48 points in the paint. But Maryland struggled to get to the basket at the start Saturday, so the Terps jacked up 3-pointers. After guard Melo Trimble made one 29 seconds into the contest, the Terps went 0-for-8 from beyond the arc until guard Kevin Huerter sunk a trey at the 9:48 mark.

Maryland also had less scoring options in the frontcourt. Forwards Damonte Dodd and Justin Jackson picked up two early fouls apiece, and forward Michal Cekovsky, who averages 10 points per game, missed his fifth consecutive contest with an ankle injury. Turgeon said he just wanted his team to get through the period without Dodd and Jackson on the court.

The Terps penetrated more often in the final 10 minutes of the half, helping them produce just a five-point deficit at intermission.

“We were totally out of sync,” Turgeon said. “We felt like, being down five, we were in good shape.”

Jaylen Brantley was the game-changer

Maryland trailed, 41-36, with 15 minutes remaining, and Brantley hadn’t scored. About three and a half minutes later, the Terps led 46-43 after Brantley scored 10 consecutive points.

The junior, who entered Saturday averaging 5.1 points per game, has been a spark off the bench for Maryland after averaging 2.3 points per game last year. With the Terps struggling to build a fluid offense, Brantley hit consecutive 3-pointers before finishing a layup to give Maryland its first lead since the opening five minutes. On the ensuing possession, the Springfield, Massachusetts, native stole the ball and converted a layup.

Brantley, who finished with 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, ignited a 14-2 run to help the Terps gain a 53-43 lead with 7:38 remaining.

“I was just trying to be myself and play my game how I normally play it,” Brantley said. “Melo and [Anthony] kept telling me to shoot the ball and don’t think about it. They all had a lot of confidence in me.”

Melo Trimble never gets comfortable

Trimble began the game by draining a 3-pointer, but he never appeared to settle in. The Terps star shot 1-for-6, including 1-for-5 from beyond the arc, before he attempted his first layup with 5:42 left in the first half.

Trimble sunk another 3-pointer in the first half and ended the frame with a steal that he finished for a layup. In the second half, however, the junior, who’s been reliable late in games, notched just two points. Trimble entered the contest averaging a team-high 17.5 points and 6.1 free throw attempts per game, yet he scored 12 points Saturday and didn’t get to the charity stripe.

With the Upper Marlboro native not playing up to par, Cowan led the Terps with 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field and 8-for-13 shooting from the free throw line, using his speed to exploit holes in the defense that his teammates didn’t find. Trimble often leads Maryland’s late comebacks, but Brantley shifted momentum to the Terps’ side Saturday.

“A lot of teams try to focus on me a lot,” Trimble said. “I’m proud of the way Jaylen stepped up tonight and the way Anthony came in and made free throws and attacked.”

Maryland can’t win comfortably

The Terps have played close games all season, winning seven contests by six points or less entering Saturday. In many of those cases, Maryland has come back from late deficits or held off foes by giving the ball to Trimble, who’s shooting 82.5 percent on free throws, to cap the result at the line. Maryland’s recent two victories against Michigan and Indiana came with resilience down the stretch.

But Maryland couldn’t close Saturday’s contest until the waning seconds. The Terps, who entered Saturday shooting 71.5 percent from the free throw line, went 10-for-20 on freebies, giving the Fighting Illini chances to come back. After he and his teammates struggled at the free throw line, Cowan drained four in succession to give Maryland a 62-53 cushion with 18 seconds remaining.

“We weren’t very good the last three minutes,” Turgeon said. “We had some open ones against that zone, but we just didn’t make them. We can be a lot better down the stretch.”